Type assembly device



eb, 26, E952 J. F. MURPHY 2,587,368

TYPE ASSEMBLY DEVICE med June 15, 1948 2 sHEETs--sHEET 1 Feb, 269 E952J. F. MURPHY TYPE ASSEMBLY DEVICE 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 Filed June l5, 1948w ik! rli d m M/ w n i 5 L w M M ,WM

M75? V7M Patented Feb. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TYPEASSEMBLY DEVICE Joseph F. Murphy, West Roxbury, Mass., assignor toLumitype Corporation, Roxbury, Mass., a corporation of MassachusettsApplication June 415, 1948, Serial-No. 33,092

This invention relates to printing and comprises a new and improved outtor system for assembling body type in high-grade proofs for displayheadings, layouts, oiset printing, zincs, and the like.

Heretoiore such proofs have been usually produced from type that must beset by hand at considerable expenseand with avery limited range of styleavailable. This is because fonts of large sized type are costly and theprinters equipment does not include many varieties thereof. Moreover,body type is expensive because the proof usually requires retouching toeliminate pin holes or other blemishes where the ink has failed toproduce a solid black impression. The work, moreover, requires theservices of experienced type Setters 'since such body type 4appears inthe reverse of yits impression.

The outt of the present invention overcomes these disadvantages,increases the printers resources, reduces the cost of body type work,and produces a superior proof by-a photographic process. Going more intodetail, my novel outfit includes a frame having end members with groovedwalls and shouldered side members in combination with several guidesections adjustably mounted with their opposite ends in the grooved endmembers and thus adapted to receive and hold a series of type blockssuch as those disclosed in my prior application Ser. No. 21,072, filedApril 14, 1948, now Patent No. 2,489,458, dated November 29, 1949. Theseblocks are transparent and carry an opaque negative in which atransparent letter is outlined. The blocks may be readily and accuratelyplaced in exactly their proper relation and, as assembled, they areviewed directly as their impression is to be seen and not in reverseasis the case with ordinary type. The individual blocks are so locatedin the frame that the negatives therein and the frame form a lighttightmat about the transparent outline of the letters. Having once assembledthe individual blocks, the frame and letters may be placed in aphotographic enlarger and the line of type photographed directly ontosensitized paper. In this manner a proof may be formed with the lettersenlarged or reduced to any desired size.

A feature of the present invention consists in a series of shoulderedguide sections having transverse heads fitting the grooves of the endmembers of the frame and provided with spring receiving recessestogether with a bowed spring disposed in each recess and serving to holdits section frictionally in adjusted position in the frame.

Another feature of the invention consists in opaque separatorssubstantially T-shaped in cross y. cent type blocks.

be best understood and appreciated from the following description of apreferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration andshown in the accompanying dra-wings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the outfit in partially assembled condition,

. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary -sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-,4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vView in perspective showing parts of the framein exploded relation,

Fig. 6 is a View in perspective of one of the type blocks, and

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of one of the separators.

In Figs. 1 and 3 is outlined in dot and ydash lines the slide or frameI0 of a commercial enlarging camera. The assembly device of my inventionmay be used in association with this, or

it Imay be made to t into any photographic contact printer. Theadvantageof using it in an enlarger is that the size of the type letters may beconveniently enlarged or reduced if desired.

The frame I0 is provided with a recess of proper size and shape toreceive and enclose an inner frame comprising side members II and I4 andslotted end members I2 and I3. Mounted between the end members I2 and I3are a series of guide members I5, T-shaped in cross section as bestshown in Fig. 5, and provided at each end with a T-shaped plate I6slidably received in the groove of the end member. 'I'he head I6 isprovided with a slot containing a bowed spring I3. It will thus be seenthat the guide members I5 are frictionally retained in position in theframe but may be adjusted with any desired spacing and will be vheld byaction of the springs I8 in such adjusted position and at all timesprevented from being accidentally displaced. The side member I4 isdetachably secured to the frame by screws and may be removed to permitthe insertion of the sliding heads I6 in the grooves of the end membersI2 and I3 when the frame -is originally put together, or for theaddition of other guide sections.

The type blocks or letter blocks I9 are rectangular in shape andtransparent in the letter or character they depict. Each block containsor has applied to it an opaque screen or negative in which is formed thetransparent outline of a type letter 20. The type blocks are designed toi'it between and rest upon the shoulders of adjacent guide sections I orupon the shoulder of a guide section and corresponding shouldersprovided in the side members Il and I4 of the.

frame. The type blocks may be conveniently assembled, moved into contactand held in place by pressing them together and pressing the guidesections toward each other or toward the side members of the frame wherethey will `be frictionally held as already explained.

It is important that the type blocks be assembled to form a completeopaque screen through which light may pass only in the transparentoutline of the type letters. Accordingly, the opaque screen or negativeis co-extensive in area with the type blocks. However, to provide forspacing in case that should be desired, separators 2l of T-shaped'crosssection are provided and these may be inserted between adjacent typeblocks with their anges overlapping the edge of adjacent blocks andtheir webs interposed between the blocks. These separators are alsoopaque in character and thus the blocks and the separators form acontinuous opaque screen except for the transparent letters outlinedtherein.

The frame with its assembled letters may be removably secured in theouter frame of the photographic enlarger, and to this end the innerframe is provided with ears 22 shaped to be re- 5 set up a complete`advertisement employing several ceived in recesses formed in oppositesides of the enlarger frame. The outer frame, in turn, is provided withpivotally mounted dogs 23 which make locking engagement withA the ears22.

If desired, blank type blocks 24 may be provided and these are useful inspacing or locating the type as set up. It will be understood, ofcourse, that the type blocks may be of any convenient size, for example8x10 pica, 10x10 pica, or

larger.

Among other advantages of my assembly device and type blocks is that agreat amount of space is saved over the old procedure of storing foundrytype. Its use also eliminates inking, furniture, and other type settingparaphernalia. The outt takes up so little space that it makes differenttype sizes at a single operation, and easy to adjust or modify thedesign after study of a photographic proof. Opaque separators 2l ofT-shaped cross section may be inserted between adjacent type blocks toadjust their relative spacing.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail anillustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

A body type assembly device comprising a rectangular frame having endmembers with grooved walls, a series of shouldered guide sections havingtransverse heads extending on both sides, tting the grooves of the endmembers and being provided with spring-receiving recesses, engaging thewalls of the groove in an end member, a bowed spring disposed in eachrecess and serving to hold its section frictionally at all times againstdisplacement and in adjusted positions in the frame, and blocks havingtransparent type outlined therein and being held at opposite endsbetween a pair of guide sections.

JOSEPH F. MURPHY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

